Should I Hire a Professional Caterer for my Seasonal Party?

You have finally decided to throw that Big Holiday Bash! There are a million decisions that need to be made, and deciding whether or not to hire a professional catering service is tops on your list.

You also have to select a date, determine a budget, decide upon the perfect location, carefully choose the guest list, settle on a motif, plan the decorations, decide on the choice of music…the list is endless.

But the most critical factor to the seasonal preparation and planning of a successful party most often rests on the choice and selection of the food and drink. Are you going to attempt this task on your own? Or do you outsource it to a reputable and professional caterer?

Catering the Affair on your Own?

The decision to cater your own seasonal gathering can come with its own set of challenges. You will obviously be hoping to save money, as a professional caterer can sometimes be quite expensive.

If the affair that you have planned will have a rather small number of invited guests, it may be quite simple to prepare the menu yourself. Or perhaps a visit to the local delicatessen or a favorite restaurant can provide a wide array of prepared party trays for your festivities.

An added advantage to self-catering is that you are better able to choose exactly what items it is that you want to serve. If we choose to hire a professional caterer, many times our choices can be somewhat limited, or at least partially dependent upon the abilities of the company we select.

Important: When interviewing prospective catering candidates, make sure that you have a wide range of food and drink selections as options so that your seasonal party is a big success.

Hiring a Professional Caterer?

There are some definite advantages to hiring a reputable catering service, especially for larger events. These professionals are better versed in determining the amounts of food and drink that will be required for the size of the gathering that you intend to entertain. Although initially you are often spending more money by hiring a professional caterer, you could end up saving larger sums of cash in the end.

A common mistake made by those who attempt to provide the meal and beverages themselves is the over-ordering or under-ordering of the seasonal fare that we wish to provide. Buying too much can cost us loads of extra money and leave us with lots of leftovers. Buying too little can quickly end an otherwise fun and engaging event. You rarely will see a party end more quickly than when the announcement is made that the kitchen and bar are “closed”.

By the way, here’s a good post we’ve written on choosing the portion sizes and how much food to order for your events to avoid leftovers or running out of food mid-event.

Hire a Pro, and Enjoy your Party!

By hiring a professional caterer for your seasonal get-together, you gain the added benefit of being better able to relax and enjoy your own event. Let the professionals worry about the smooth operation of the party. They have the experience and the focus to ensure the careful organization of any social gathering. You can then spend your time hosting your guests, mingling, and introducing them to one another, making sure that everyone is able to celebrate the joyous festivities!